An electrosurgery generator unit is a critical piece of equipment in any therapeutic endoscopy setting. Education and acquaintance with these devices are the primary avenue to the safest and most effective clinical outcomes.

This presentation presents concise information linking the basic properties of electrosurgery directly to clinical practice with following aims: 1) to relate the fundamental electrosurgical principles to commonly performed procedures such as snare polypectomy, hot biopsy, sphincterotomy, bipolar hemostasis, and argon plasma coagulation, and 2) to provide practical suggestions for the use of these devices on the basis of an understanding of electrosurgical principles and the available clinical data.